We chose this cruise for the following reasons:
1. Smaller ship with less passengers making excursions quick and easy
2. French (me being a francofile and able to speak French)
3. The itinerary and excursions offered
4. All ... Read More

We chose this cruise for the following reasons:
1. Smaller ship with less passengers making excursions quick and easy
2. French (me being a francofile and able to speak French)
3. The itinerary and excursions offered
4. All inclusive
5. Reasonable price
This was an 18 day cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam and the whole cruise from start to finish went smoothly. The crew were French, Hungarian and German but all could speak English to a greater or lesser degree. They were always friendly and nothing was too much trouble. One of our party had a dental problem. A dentist and a taxi were booked ahead for the next stop and once we moored it was all sorted in less than an hour. The organisation was perfect. At each stop busses were waiting with local, official guides waiting who gave the commentaries in English and French. On arrival at museums and historic buildings the guides had tickets waiting and there was no queuing to enter.
The ship was spotless inside and out and kept that way throughout the trip. Everything was cleaned and washed down every day. The cabins were small but very comfortable but we only slept in them. There was too much going on to want to stay in the cabin. The towels were changed every day and the bedding every 5 days unless you asked for it to be done more often. The whole ship was air conditioned and the cabins had individual controls.
The food was excellent and most days reflected the food of the country we were in at that time. Breakfast was buffet style with everything you could want. Lunch was a 4 course meal and dinner 3 courses. The meals were beautifully presented in the French way. All drinks were included and freely available. The service could not be bettered.
There were daily entertainments organised by two dedicated entertainers who were superb and who became everyone's best friends. A friendly rivalry developed between the French and English speaking passengers that led to many hilarious situations. A great sadness is that we will not see these people again. In the lounge there was live music all afternoon and evening provided by a pianist that was excellent. He seemed to be able to play and sing any music that was requested.
We spent 5 days in Budapest before the cruise and 5 days in Amsterdam after. Both cities are great world cities and most enjoyable.
This is not a cruise for children.
Would I go again? I have been home for 1 week and am already looking at the brochure to plan our trip next year. Read Less

This was a Noble Caledonia cruise and my first ever cruise. The boat and crew were excellent. All inclusive, lovely French food and wines. Spotlessly clean and everything worked in my cabin. All the crew were helpful and smiley - nothing ... Read More

This was a Noble Caledonia cruise and my first ever cruise. The boat and crew were excellent. All inclusive, lovely French food and wines. Spotlessly clean and everything worked in my cabin. All the crew were helpful and smiley - nothing was too much trouble for them. A couple of potential dramas were dealt with calmly and efficiently. The Noble Caledonia representatives were kind and knowledgeable. I would happily do another cruise with this company. This cruise was only suitable for more mature people with beautiful scenery along the River Tisza and Danube. The shore excursions were well organised and interesting with very good local guides who spoke good English and had a sense of humour! This boat is the only one to do this cruise as it is small enough to get up the River Tisza so all the stops that we made caused much interest from locals living on the banks of the river! The weather was brilliant and the air conditioning in the cabins was essential! Read Less

I love CroisiEurope river cruises, but they are not to everyone's taste. The main language on board is French. You'll find there are few English speaking guests. Excursions aren't included in the price (except for cruises ... Read More

I love CroisiEurope river cruises, but they are not to everyone's taste. The main language on board is French. You'll find there are few English speaking guests. Excursions aren't included in the price (except for cruises sold in the US where the prices are higher to take that into account). Cabins are small and the shower room is tiny. If you want to be cocooned in your own little piece of England (or America) and don't speak any other languages, you need a different cruise line.
We went on Victor Hugo for a trans-Europe cruise from Strasbourg to Budapest. This is really a repositioning trip to get the ship to Budapest for the summer season, but it's a great way to visit 5 countries.
We're not great fans of organised excursions. We prefer to disembark on our own, see any major attractions on the way and have coffee with the locals. That makes CroisiEurope cheap. One point to note is that with a repositioning trip, the ship needs to get through the Main Danube canal as quickly as possible, so some excursions are dropped off at one port and picked up further along, leaving no opportunity for others to disembark. That's not a problem if you enjoy sitting on deck watching the world go by. There are only so many pretty German towns you can take in on one trip!
A few tips along the way: Strasbourg is an interesting city. It's worth arriving the day before the cruise so you have time to explore it. Don't miss the Cathedral and the riverside district of Petit France. In Mainz, there's just time to walk into the old town, see the Gutenburg Bible in the museum, see the Cathedral and get back for lunch. (The organised tour doesn't go into either). In Esztergom, you can walk across the international bridge into Slovakia and tick off another country. There's still time to climb the hill and see the Basilica. In Budapest, the trams and buses take you anywhere you want to go. Buy a Budapest card and you can hop on and off at will. EU citizens over 65 travel free - just be ready to show your passport.
Meals onboard were excellent and standard drinks in the restaurant and at the bar are included. You can pay extra for premium brands, but the standard fare suited us. Of course, on a French ship you can't get a decent cup of tea. We took a supply of Millac Maid to avoid the UHT milk. You can buy fresh milk ashore, but there's no fridge in the cabin.
Our cabin was arranged with a double bed with one side against the wall. Bed covers were for two single beds so they soon finished up in a tangled heap. With the benefit of hindsight I'd recommend going for two singles.
The entertainment staff on this trip were French and worked very hard. The rest of the crew were nearly all Hungarian. Announcements were in French although they provided a translation for the 8 of us who spoke English. The bar staff seemed happier speaking French or German. Entertainment mostly took the form of games but the crew managed to put on a couple of shows.
Currency onboard is the Euro although the only things we actually had to pay for were a couple of postcards and our one excursion (a visit to a Hungarian folk evening in Budapest). All major cards are accepted. Tips are entirely voluntary. Towards the end of the cruise, you are given an envelope for tips and a questionnaire, but there's no pressure to return either. Read Less

We booked through a UK agent, knowing the line was French owned/operated, but believing their statements that announcements (at the least) were in English, too. Croisieurope is also advertising on US TV so one assumes they want American ... Read More

We booked through a UK agent, knowing the line was French owned/operated, but believing their statements that announcements (at the least) were in English, too. Croisieurope is also advertising on US TV so one assumes they want American customers. We were almost left behind at the hotel we had to use for two days (river Tisza was too low to board in Tokaj, so spent two days in Debrescen hotel under tour guide's care) and stopped taking excursions as no translation for us and two other couples (one UK, one German). The Hungarian tour company needs to be replaced. Aboard the boat, the Director and two of the staff spoke English and were very helpful and the accommodations, while small, were adequate. This is the line's smallest boat and it has a staff of only 23 (room stewards double as cook's helpers, entertainer staff double as porters, etc.) and about 90 passengers. Food was acceptable (surprising lack of sauces for French cuisine) and "shows" were the aforementioned stewards/cooks/porters. As stated, the biggest problem was the contracted tour company with their lack of care for ALL passengers. We told Christine we did not need a translation of everything she said, but we HAD to know where and when things were happening. We tried to find out about tours prior to our departure, but Blue Water (our agent in UK) said to book on board. No info til we boarded two days late, and erroneous info about where tour was going for drop-off and pick-up. With no English, we were left to fend for ourselves...and we don't speak Hungarian, either. As stated, this line is for French only and they should stop advertising in US. Read Less